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Building moratorium should be short, limited

"We need to wrestle this bear now instead of later."

Dunedin City Commissioner Bob Hackworth came up with a particularly colorful way to explain his belief that Dunedin should institute a building moratorium so it can review its land development code.

There appears to be support among Dunedin officials for doing just that.

Like other Pinellas local governments, Dunedin has been shocked by a sudden surge in interest from developers. Some Pinellas local governments are staggering under the onslaught of applications for rezonings, land use changes, variances and site plan approvals.

Dunedin has not seen the extreme surge that Clearwater, St. Petersburg and Pinellas County are experiencing, but officials know it is coming and that it could change the city. Already, a couple of projects have been proposed in Dunedin's quaint downtown that would bring in taller buildings, new businesses and dense residential development. Property values in the city are rising, and speculation in real estate is under way.

Dunedin officials are worried that their land development code doesn't contain all the provisions it should to protect the community's character in such an environment. The land development code sets forth the rules that the city and property owners use to determine what can and cannot be built in the city. City Attorney John Hubbard said the code may need to be changed to address changing times.

"An extraordinary change in property values has made this type of redevelopment, where you buy a small building and put a great big building in its place, economically desirable," he said. "Is that what you want your community to be?"

Thursday night Dunedin commissioners will discuss whether to impose a temporary building moratorium in part or all of the city while a consultant does the complex work of reviewing the code and bringing back recommendations for change. To cope with the trend toward intense redevelopment, the city could decide, for example, to include in its code new building height limits, setback requirements, density limits or provisions to encourage more affordable housing.

"Moratorium" is a dirty word in the development and construction industries. It's also a word that current Dunedin residents may not want to hear if they are preparing to sell or redevelop their properties.

A few months ago Clearwater considered a nine-month moratorium on a portion of Clearwater Beach where developers were proposing projects the city thought were inappropriate for the location. The city staff wanted the moratorium so codes could be modified to control the situation. However, the owners of property in that neighborhood vehemently opposed the moratorium because they thought it limited their right to profit from the sale or development of their land. Clearwater officials turned down the moratorium.

Dunedin city commissioners are likely to see the same kind of opposition Thursday night. However, a short-term and limited moratorium affecting only future projects would give the city time to create a code that protects the city's unique character.

A lengthy moratorium, though, could turn away positive redevelopment projects and would be unfair to property owners in the city. If commissioners vote for a moratorium, they will need to dedicate themselves and sufficient city staff members to accomplishing the review and amendment of the land development code in record time.

[Last modified July 20, 2005, 00:57:15]